Einar Jónsson Biography

Einar Jonsson was Iceland’s first sculptor. He lived in an era when there was little tradition of sculpture in Iceland, and became a pioneer in this field by establishing the art of sculpture in his homeland. He was very creative and artistic from childhood and was fascinated with all forms of fine arts from a young age. As a student he desired to study sculpture and moved to Denmark to study at the Copenhagen Academy of Art. After that he received a grant to study in Rome where he undertook apprenticeship and lived for two years. Though he had received a conventional education in classical sculptural approach, he was a maverick at heart and it was not long before he challenged the set norms of style in sculpture. Gradually his works departed from the classical standard and became marked with powerful motifs that evoked feelings of passion and romance. He was also unusual in his choice of material as he primarily worked with Plaster of Paris instead of modeling clay, as it allowed him to work on a single piece of work for years. He donated all of his works as a gift to the Icelandic people which are now housed in the Einar Jónsson Museum in Reykjavík